Egg-case.



E. S. WETSEL.

' EGG CASE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, I914.

r0 1 9 1 3 1 R p A d e b n on t a D1 //7 ve/vfom' W/ %/M,

EDWARD S. WETSEL, 01E JBINGrHdllKTON, NEW YORK nee-case.

menses.

specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, lhlld.

Application flied January 311, 191%. Serial No. 815,644. I

and State oat New York, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in till EggeCases, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had "to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

' This invention relates to improvements in egg-caseswhich inclilde means to potect egges packed and shipped in them from breaking in transit, the main object of the invention being to enable cases, each containing a small number of eggs, for example a-dozen more or less, to be sent by mail or express and delivered to purchasers, with but little if anydanger that any of the eggs may be broken. The invention consists of an eg -case comprising the features herein described and specified in the claims.

"OI! theaccompanying sheet of drawings, which illustrate the invention inits preferred form and on which like referencenumerals'designate like parts of different views: Figure 1 is a broken perspective of an eggrcase, the capacity of which is one dozen eggs; Fig. 2, a vertical cross-section of the case; Fig. 8, a perspective illustrating how egg-wrappers like those shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are applied to the eggs; Fig. 4:,a plan of a sheet of material ready to be converted into a wrapper; and Fig. ,5,-a plan of a fragment of a similar sheet, illustrating an operations which facilitates the proper formation oi? the sheet into a. wrapper-.1. ,:'l he case shown is composed of a strong pasteboard box-a pairoof perforated-diaphragms therein, and. egg-holding devices or wrappers which fit in the perforations of the diaphragms, the box having the sides 1, ends 2 and bottom-3, and being provided with the cover d. The .diaphragms 5 and 6, which may be pasteboard :orv other material,- are alike, eachrcon'taining as..,many

lower. The egg-holding devices or Wrappers are preferably strong rolls of corrugated paper, made from small sheets 9 (Fig. l) the corrugations being parallel to the shorter edges of the sheets. llhe eggs and sheets 9 may be rolled together, the latter being laid on a table or other flat support and during the operation being stretched around the eggs, 10, midway between the longer-edgesof the sheets, so as there to spread the corrugations and make the middle portion 11 of each wrapper-larger than the perforations 7 in'the diaphragms 5 and and its ends 12 smaller than those perforatlons, the margins of the sheet next to itsshorter edges extending lengthwise of the wrapper and being overlapped as shown. T he skill required so-to form the wrappers fromthe corrugated sheets is to be had with a little practice, but-to enable the slight trouble of stretching the sheets as described to be avoided the corrugations may be spread or somewhat flattened midway-between their ends by suitable pressure before the eggs are rolled in the sheets, so that the dotte -then having the-appearance represented in Fig. 5, will naturally. assume the proper forms .when they arenwrapped around the eggs. The length of ail-wrapper about equals the depthot thebox.

When the case is to be packed with eggs, the upper diaphragm 6 is removed from the box but the lower diaphragm 5 is leftin it, the flanges dot the latter resting-on the bottom 3 of the box. r'lihe eggs and wrappersare then put into it, eachegg-end its wrapper being'rolled-together as described andone endpf eachwrapper being-inserted in aperforationof the-diaphragm-b and pushed down to the bottom. The diaphragm .5, which fits snugly. around the wrapper, will hold the latterinits proper position with the egg-contained .in it and supported by it. After all ofthe eggs and wrappers have been so put into the box, the diaphragm 6, held so that the flanges extend upward and the {.PEIfOIfllllOIlS 7. are directly, over the upper ends of the wrappers,. is pushed down, on and around the wrappers and into the box, until the upper edges of the flanges 8 are even or about even with the upper edges of the box. The cover tis then pet .on-and, as appears by it ig. 2, its top fits on the upper ends of the wrappers and edges of the flanges 8 of the diaphragm 6, the wrappers extending through lldb llld' both diaphragms and from the top to the bottom of the case, and the distended middle portions of the wrappers being between the diaphragms and larger than the upper and lower portions of the wrappers, as well as the perforations in the diaphragms.

The construction and arrangement of the box, diaphragms, and wrappers constituting the case described, are such that when it is packed with eggs and the cover is secured on the box, the sides, ends, top and bottom of the case hold the diaphragms and wrappers in their proper positions, and are reinforced by them, the flanges 8 coacting with the wrappers to keep the diaphragms at proper distances from the ends of the wrappers and from one another, and the wrappers, which are both strong and elastic, so support the eggs as to keep them out of contact with any of the walls of the case, and prevent them from moving therein in any direction, and protect them from shock even if the case should be somewhat carelessly or roughly handled. The wrappers are not only stifi' enough to enable them to support the eggs as described whether the cover or bottom of the box is upward, or, in other words, whether the wrappers stand on the bottom or cover, but also stiff enough to render them not liable to be crushed by the weight of other cases and their contents.

Obviously the essential features of the invention described herein and specified in the claims can be embodied in cases differing more or less in details of construction from one another and from the case herein shown,

and it will be understood also that some features of the invention can be used in egg-' cases not embodying all of its features.

Having 4 thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an egg-case the combination of a box. a set of egg-holding devices, and a pair of diaphragms which closely surround each egg-holding device when those devices are arranged side by side in the box, said devices extending above and below the spaces which the eggs occupy, and the diaphragms and said devices forming a box-reinforcing structure which fits snugly in the box and on which stress is imposed when any face of the box is subjected to external pressure.

2. In an egg-case the combination of a box, a pair of perforated and flanged diaphragms. and a'set of egg-holding devices. the diaphragms fitting in the box and each having as many perforations as there are egg-holding devices and the perforations of each diaphragm being directlv opposite those of the other. and each egg-holding device fitting in and extending through both diaphragms. its middle porti n being hetween the diaphragms. and the flan es of the dia'phragms constituting means that coact with the egg-holding devices to keep the diaphragms at proper distances from the ends of those devices, they being stiff enough to enable them to support eggs as described.

3. In an egg-case the combination of a box, a set of egg-wrappers, a pair of diaphragms fitting in the box, each having as many perforations as there are wrappers and the perforations of each diaphragm being directly opposite those of the other, and each wrapper fitting in and extending through both diaphragms, its middle portion being between the diaphragms and being distended, when the wrapper contains an egg, and then fitting snugly around the egg and being larger than those portions that fit in the diaphragms, and means that coact with the wrappers to keep the diaphragms at proper distances from the ends of the wrappers, they being stiff enough to enable them to support eggs as described.

4. In an egg-case the combination of a box, a set of egg-wrappers, a pair of diaphragms fitting in the box, each having as many perforations as there are wrappers and the perforations of each diaphragm being directly opposite those of the other, and the egg-wrappers being composed of corrugated paper rolls and each wrapper fitting in and extending through both diaphragms and from the top to the bottom of the case, and the middle portions of the wrappers being between the diaphragms and being distended, when the wrappers contain eggs. and then fitting snugly around the eggs and being larger than the perforations in the diaphragms, and means that coact with the wrappers to keep the diaphragms at proper distances from the ends of the wrappers.

5. In an egg-case the combination of a box, a set of egg-wrappers, and a pair of diaphragms which closely surround each wrapper when the wrappers are arranged side by side in the box, the wrappers being corrugated paper rolls having egg-supporting walls which extend above and below the spaces occupied by the eggs, and the diaphragms and wrappers forming a box-reiniforcing structure which fits snugly in the box and on which stress is imposed when any face of the box is subjected to external pressure.

6. In an egg-case the combination of a box, a pair of perforated and flanged diaphragms, and a setof egg-wrappers, the diaphragms fitting in the box and each having as many perforations as there are wrappers and the perforations of each diaphragm being directly opposite those of the other, and the egg-wrappers being composed of corrugatedpaper rolls and each wrapper fitting in and extending through both diaphragms andfrom the top" to the bottom of the case. and the middle portions of the wrappers be til lasagna tween the diaphragms the flange of the up per diaphragm and t e upper ends of the wrappers being next to the top of the case and the flanggof the lower diaphragm and the low'efiends of the wrappers being next to the botto'm of the case. 7

8. In an egg-case the combination of an upper and a lower flanged diaphragm, and a set of egg-wrappers, each diaphragm having as many perforations as there are egg-Wrappers, and each wrapper fitting in and extending through both diaphragms, the middle portions of the wrappers being between the diaphragms and being distended, when the Wrappers contain eggs, and then being larger than said perforations, the flange of the upper diaphragm and the upper ends of the wrappers being next to the top of the case and the flange ofthe lower diaphragm and the lower ends of the wrappers being next to the bottom of the case.

9. In an egg-case the combination of an upper and a lower diaphragm, and a set of separate flexible tubular egg-wrappers, the lower diaphragm having openings in which the wrappers fit below their middle portions, and the upper diaphragm having openings in which the wrappers fit above their middle portions and being separable from the wrappers and adjustable in the case and on the wrappers after eggs have been inserted in the wrappers.

10. In an egg-case the combination of a pair of perforated diaphragms, and a set of separate egg-wrappers, each diaphragm having as many perforations as there are egg-wrappers and each. wrapper fitting in and extending through both diaphragms, the middle portions of the wrappers being between the diaphragms and being distended, when the wrappers contain eggs, and then fitting snugly around the eggs and being larger than said perforations.

11. In an egg-case the combination of a set of separate hollow rolls formed from thin flexible material and having loosely over lapping longitudinalmargins fitting closely together, the rolls constituting egg-wrappers, and a pair of holding devices which extend across the interior of the case and in which the rolls fit, each roll being surrounded near one of its ends by one of the holding devices and near its other end by the other holding device, and the construction and arrangement of parts being such that the overlapping margins of each roll are kept together and the rolls are kept at fixed distances apart by the holding devices.

12. In an egg-case an egg-supporting tubular wrapper open at both ends and consisting of an oblong rectangular sheet of corrugated flexible material bent upon itself, the corrugations being parallel to the shorter edges of the sheet, and the sheet being flattened from end to end midway between its longer edges.

7 EDWARD S. WETSEL- In presence ot HENRY L. 'IAr, DANA B. IIINMAN. 

